In the 13-year period of 2005 through 2017, canines killed 433 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (284) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths. | More »

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Izaiah Cox, 7-months old, was killed by his great-grandmother's two pit bulls.

Great-Grandmother NamedUPDATE 04/01/09: The grandmother has been identified as the toddler's 58-year old great-grandmother, Irma Barrera.1 Her two pit bulls, Cane and Wrinkle, were both male and unaltered. Barrera said she placed the baby on her bed then went into the kitchen to get a bottle for the baby. That's when the pit bulls broke through the baby gate and attacked the infant. Barrera said she tried to stab her dogs with a knife in an attempt to get them to release the injured baby.

03/31/09: Dog Mauling Victim Identified The victim has been identified as 7-month old Izaiah Gregory Cox. Police said the deadly attack started in the kitchen area, when the grandmother was warming a bottle of milk for the boy. When she turned around, she saw her two pit bulls viciously attacking him. A separate article said the dogs "broke down the baby-gate" to reach the child. The grandmother grabbed a knife and fought the dogs off long enough to place him into a crib. Then her own family pit bulls turned on her.

Investigators said the baby's grandmother was inside the home preparing a bottle for the baby, when the dogs broke down the baby-gate between the bedroom and kitchen. The dogs attacked Izaiah Gregory Cox. The police report says they "dragged [him] around like a rag doll." The grandmother grabbed a knife and began stabbing the dogs to try to get them off of her grandson. She was able to get the boy into a crib, but the dogs then began to attack her. - News 4 WOAI, March 31, 2009

When EMS crews arrived at the Ruiz Street residence, they had to climb through a side window to get to the toddler, who later died at University Hospital of San Antonio. The dogs were shot to death by arriving police officers in the backyard -- the dogs' bodies were later taken away by animal control to be tested for rabies. The grandmother was also injured in the attack; she is still recovering at a local hospital. It's still unclear if anyone at the home will face any charges.

03/31/09: Baby Killed by Grandmother's Pit Bulls San Antonio, TX - A 7-month-old boy was brutally killed by pit bulls while visiting his grandmother's home. The attack occurred after she left the baby alone with her pit bulls while she warmed a milk bottle. In the 3-year period of 2006-2008, DogsBite.org recorded 88 fatal dog attacks. 14% (12) of all dog bite fatalities involved a "watcher," a person such as a grandparent or babysitter, watching a child between the ages of 0-4. Of these fatal occurrences, 75% (9) involved a grandparent.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene of the attack, but couldn’t get past the two dogs to help the victim, according to San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus. Several minutes later, police arrived and shot the two dogs allowing paramedics to enter the house to treat the victims. The baby was transported to a hospital with "major bite wounds all over his body" and died shortly thereafter. The family pit bulls also attacked their owner, the child's grandmother.

1107 Ruiz Street, the scene of the fatal pit bull mauling that killed a toddler.

Relatives said the grandmother frequently babysits her grandson, but also said that when the baby is around, the pit bulls are usually outside in a small fenced-in yard. The dogs were kind to the grandmother, relatives said, but were aggressive toward others. One relative said the dogs bit her 8-year-old niece in the face once, and added she thought the dogs should have been put down back then. A sign on the front gate warns pedestrians on the street to beware of the dogs.

Neighbors were unsurprised by the attack. "Are those dogs dangerous? You better believe it," said neighbor Larry Salazar, who gathered with several others after they heard the gunfire. Ramon Sanchez, whose grandmother lives next-door to where the attack took place, said the two dogs were at least 120 pounds each and were vicious. "Not even the mailman gets by that gate," Sanchez said. "I’m not surprised by the attack; I’m surprised that it took this long," Sanchez said.

I would tend to agree that with these dogs previous history and contact with animal control, ought some attorney bring an action for negligence. Until these jurisdictions feel the pain of $ damages awarded by a jury, the city councils and county boards will always defer to the “animal control types”. Of all the people in the world, these “types” have got to realize pit bulls are different. My god, are you kidding me. Every city in this great country has a pit bull problem. From LA to NY. FRom Grand Forks to San Antonio. Maybe the feds should step in, similar to what England did in 1991.

http://definitions.uslegal.com/d/depraved-indifference/To constitute depraved indifference, the defendant’s conduct must be ‘so wanton, so deficient in a moral sense of concern, so lacking in regard for the life or lives of others, and so blameworthy as to warrant the same criminal liability as that which the law imposes upon a person who intentionally causes a crime. Depraved indifference focuses on the risk created by the defendant’s conduct, not the injuries actually resulting.

These parents whose children are killed as a result of being exposed to a family dog who has shown aggression previously, should be charged with MURDER.

Grandma has pit bulls that scare the heck out of the neighbors. She’s got a sign hanging on her the fence that reads “Warning: Security Dog.” At least one of the dogs had a bite record as well. Now grandma has a dead grandchild. She knew perfectly well how dangerous her dogs were…

This is NOT stupidity; this is DENIAL.

I wonder what she told the parents? “Your son will be just fine around my two pit bulls — they might, however, “lick the child to death.” The DENIAL thanks goes out to the pit bull community for promoting their dogs as “wiggle butts.”

On Friday, Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, and his staff in Austin prepared to tout a bill that would crack down on “vicious” dogs, or dogs in enclosed areas that are capable of causing serious injury or death.

…The new bill does not distinguish between breeds and would levy restrictions against owners of vicious dogs, including a requirement that they maintain at least $100,000 in liability insurance.

Hindsight laws by definition only happen AFTER a victim has been created.

Prosecutors in San Antonio say a woman facing trial over the 2009 dog mauling death of her 7-year-old grandson has died of apparent natural causes. Irma Barrera was 59. Barrera was to have been in court Monday on charges of injury to a child. The San Antonio Express-News reports prosecutors moved to drop the case after learning that Barrera died Dec. 6. Barrera was injured and her grandson, Izaiah Gregory Cox, died following the March 31 attacks blamed on her two dogs at her home. Barrera was indicted in August after prosecutors determined that another grandchild, several years ago, had been injured by the dogs. Police shot and killed the two dogs, in the woman's yard, while responding to the March attack.

It makes me sick that something like this happens. I do not understand why a 58 year old woman would own two unaltered male pits. These dogs are dangerous and need an experienced strong pack leader type with a calm assertive involved owner.These dogs need this. This woman had no business owning these dogs period.Pit bull owner ship should be regulated.